ZOOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY BULLETIN 



Xiimlifr -'/ 1 



Published hi/ thr Xac York Zoological Socicti/ 



Mcpfcnilnr, I '.III I 



THE CHINESE TAKIX. 



LAST 3'ear, Hon. ]Mason Mitchell, Anicrican 

 Consul at Chung King. China, and now sta- 

 tioned at Apia, Samoa, presented to the 

 Zoological Society, for the National Collection 

 of Heads and Horns, the entire skin, skull and 

 horns of the very rare and little known Takin 

 which inhabits southwestern China. The speci- 

 men proved to represent the Chinese Takin, 

 (Biidurcas tibetanus, Lydekker). of which there 

 are probably fewer than half a dozen specimens 

 available for study. 



For several months, the founders of the Na- 

 tional Collection were in doubt regarding their 

 duty to science respecting the zoological rarity 

 so unexpectedly jilaced in their possession. To 



mount a si)eeimen entire and [jlace it in the Col- 

 lection, seemed like establishing an embarrass- 

 ing precedent; but on the other hand, it seemed 

 imi)ossible to do otherwise. At last it was 

 agreed that "the promotion of zoology" demand- 

 ed the utilization of the entire animal. The 

 specimen was placed in the hands of ^Ir. \\'ilson 

 Potter, of Philadelphia, and forthwith he and 

 his taxidermists began a careful study of the 

 Takins. 



The finished specipien reached the Collection 

 last week, and the work bestowed upon it re- 

 riects great credit upon Mr. Potter. Judging 

 from photographs of the living Takin in the 

 London Zoo. the form of the animal has been 



CHINESE TAKIN. 



